Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wireless communications, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for optimizing load re-balancing for a dedicated core network in a wireless communication system.
Related Art
3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) long-term evolution (LTE) is a technology for enabling high-speed packet communications. Many schemes have been proposed for the LTE objective including those that aim to reduce user and provider costs, improve service quality, and expand and improve coverage and system capacity. The 3GPP LTE requires reduced cost per bit, increased service availability, flexible use of a frequency band, a simple structure, an open interface, and adequate power consumption of a terminal as an upper-level requirement.
3GPP networks are beginning to support devices and customers with very different characteristics, such as machine type devices, mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), data usage, etc. These classes of devices and customers may have different requirements from the core network in terms of optional feature support, traffic characteristic support, availability, congestion management, ratio of signaling to user plane traffic, etc. The classes of devices/customers will continue to increase. One cost effective mechanism for operators to support these different classes of devices and customers is to create separate dedicated core networks consisting of specialized core network elements that are designed and deployed to meet the requirements of these different devices and customers. It is cost-effective, as the network availability or redundancy requirements may be easier met with different hardware and/or software than the existing core network. Also, creating separate core networks enables independent scaling or specific feature provisioning for specific user or traffic types and isolating specific users and traffic from each other.
The load re-balancing functionality can be used when one core network node is removed from a pool area, and enables UEs that are registered on one core network node to be moved to another core network node.
Interaction between dedicated core network assignment and load re-balancing functionality has not been investigated yet. Accordingly, a method for optimizing load re-balancing for the dedicated core network may be required.